


Speed Dating is for Dummies

by dasfreefree



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Birthday, Fluff, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Gift Fic, Other, Reader-Insert, Speed Dating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-15
Updated: 2017-10-15
Packaged: 2019-01-17 13:24:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12366699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dasfreefree/pseuds/dasfreefree
Summary: A friend is nervous about going speed dating alone, so you tag along not realizing how bad it's going to be. Well, at least until you run into a certain someone you had a small crush on in high school. (Happy Birthday, Brenna!)





	Speed Dating is for Dummies

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ExplodingPringlesCans](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ExplodingPringlesCans/gifts).



> A happiest of birthdays to my friend Brenna! You already know I went to hell and back trying to recover the original version of this document (it didn’t work) so maybe the second time around will be better? Either way, you deserve a little something for your special day and I’m bringing it to you! This was heavily inspired by that one time I went speed dating, but this would have been a much better experience, IMO.
> 
> Have a great day!

It’s too loud in this restaurant, as it has been for the past two-and-a-half hours. Exhausted, a little buzzed, and voice shot from having to practically shout for most of it, you’re getting impatient. This speed dating event was supposed to be over thirty minutes ago. Yet, every five minutes, a new person was taking the seat in front of you and trying to have an interesting conversation until the bell sounded to switch.

Hardly paying attention to your current date--who you can’t hear well anyway--you glance to your friend a seat over. She’s the reason you’re here in the first place. She wanted to try this, but was hesitant about going on her own. You agreed to join her, figuring it could get you out of the apartment for a night, whether or not you met anyone compatible while out.

The bell rings again to signal for the inner circle to switch.

“Alright, this is the last round, everyone!” the host announces.

Since the dates rotated from your friend to you, she was good about giving you a concerned look when anyone bothersome was coming your way. As the dates shuffle, you glance her way and she gives you a soft smile. A good sign, or perhaps she’s as exhausted as you are. Quite possibly both. After a quick nod, you take another sip of your drink while your date settles into his seat.

He looks familiar. You stare at him with a quizzical look, glass still at your lips. When he notices the way you’re staring, he huffs, “Don’t tell me I’ve had something on my face this whole time.”

You lean closer to read his nametag. Ukai Keishin. Well, that name is familiar! It’s been ages since you’ve thought about it, but sure enough, you can recall him now with perfect clarity.

“From Karasuno?” you ask just to be sure. Now it’s his turn to give you a look.

“Yeah…” he says warily.

“We went to high school together,” you explain. You shift in your chair and gesture to your name tag, stating your name all the while. “We were in the same class our third year.”

His guarded expression makes way for a look of relief, and then he grins.

“Oh shit, I didn’t even recognize you!”

“Well, it took me a moment too. So what’s a guy like you doing at something like this?”

His smile falters. “Don’t ask.”

“Lose a bet?” you tease. The half-hearted, concerned expression you give him doesn’t go unnoticed. Ukai narrows his eyes and crosses his arms over his chest.

“I said don’t ask. But I ask the same thing. Why are you here?”

You jerk your head towards your friend. “Keeping my friend company.”

“How noble.” Despite the click of his tongue, he still can’t help but smile.

“Is it noble if I complained the whole time?”

“Did she hear you complain?”

“Could anyone hear anything in this room?”

“Good point.”

You both laugh at this and something about it feels inexplicably right. Maybe it’s because you’re tired, a little buzzed, and your voice is shot, and the dates before him were either mundane or awful, but this is the best chemistry you’ve had with anyone this evening. Maybe it’s also because you sort of know each other already, or because eight years after graduation, he looks damn fine. You thought he was good-looking in high school, but growing up did him really good.

Regardless, when that final bell rings, you’re disappointed the conversation ends. There’s no way that was only five minutes (the first and only time you felt that way the whole night).

“Listen,” he starts awkwardly. He coughs to clear his throat. “Do you want to stay for a little bit? Catch up maybe? I’ll buy you drink.”

You blink, unable to control the intrigued smile on your lips. You were just going to give him your number and call it a night, hope he texts or calls in the morning, but this is a much better turn of events. “Yeah, let me just see if my friend is cool with that.”

She turns to you as if on cue, and you explain the situation to her. You can see her trying to hold back a wide smile, but she shakes her head.

“I have some things to take care of in the morning, so I really should head home, but don’t let me stop you.”

“Are you sure you’re okay going alone?”

“Yup, the bus stop is right outside. You two have fun, though. I’ll text you later, okay?”

She gives you a wink before heading out. You turn to Ukai and shrug. “I guess that settles that then.”

Without delay, the two of you ditch the post-speed date formalities and head downstairs to the bar. Ukai orders your drinks while you seat yourself at a booth. It’s somewhat quiet for a Saturday night, but after almost two hours of not being able to hear anyone and having to shout to be heard, you’ll take it. Ukai sets down the drinks and joins you on the opposite side of the table.

“Much better,” he says, raising his drink. “We can actually have a conversation now.”

“Huh?” you ask, cupping your hand to your ear. Your smile gives away the fact that you're pulling his leg. “No, yeah, this is so much better. Speed dating is needlessly strenuous. Sorry if I lose my voice at any point during our conversation by the way.”

“Understood. But you’ll still have to answer all my questions.”

“Wow, were you always this mean?” you tease.

“If I was mean, I would have made you pay for your own drink.”

You giggle at this before asking him to fill you in on the past eight or so years. He mentions he’s running his mom’s store now, and how he still hangs out with Takinoue and Shimada from time-to-time, and of course, that he’s taken over coaching duties for the volleyball team at Karasuno. He also explains how he lost a bet with his aforementioned high school buddies, and the loser had to go to a speed dating event.

Though now, he’s not considering it much of a loss.

It’s been a long time since someone’s seemed so genuinely interested in his storytelling. That cute smile you have on while he listen only serves to remind him of why he asked you to stay with him after speed dating was over.

Another round of drinks and now you’re telling Ukai about your time during those eight years. Something about the way you tell your side of the story makes him feel like he missed out. But at the same time, he’s flattered you’re letting him in at all. Being tired and tipsy can make a person honest--he knows that very well--and seeing you let down your walls so easily after a night of forced conversations is nothing short of charming.

Well, when he talks to Takinoue and Shimada later, he’ll be sure to let them know that they should think of better punishments for losing a bet because he’d hardly call this a loss now.

When it gets late, he offers to walk you to whatever bus stop or train station you need to go to. You inform him that you actually live close by, but you won’t stop him if he wants to walk you back to your place.

“Okay, confession: I had a small crush on you high school,” you mention on the way there. “Not like a major crush, but I thought you were kind of hot. You were a bit of Bad Boy, which I liked, but you were also on the volleyball team that your grandpa coached, so you had a soft side too.”

Ukai blinks, taken aback by your sudden confession before scrunching his nose.

“Had?”

You laugh at the combination of his cute face at the moment and the part he chose to focus on in all of that. “Okay, you still do since you’re coaching those kids now.”

“Er, I had…. a crush on you. In the admire-from-afar kind of way, that is. You were really cute.”

“Were?” you ask in an exaggerated impersonation. The two of you stop walking when you interject briefly that this building is yours.

“Well, I mean, you still are that is. You know what I mean!” he scoffs.

But you’re already grinning widely and writing your number down for him on a sticky note pad from your bag. You slap the blue paper into his palm and suddenly this feels very real in a very good way. In high school, you might have been proud for making such a bold move and even more so for the next part. You place your hands on his shoulders and lean over to his ear.

“Don’t wait three days to call me, okay?” you whisper. A quick peck on the cheek seals the deal. Well, not exactly. As you pull away, he takes hold of your wrist, stopping you short of heading into your apartment complex.

“Actually,” Ukai starts, rubbing the back of his neck in clear in embarrassment. “Can I kiss you?”

And after a lousy start to the night, this is just what you needed. Despite the red already in your cheeks, you feel your face heat up somewhat at his question. You place your hands on his shoulders again, rising on your toes again to place a kiss on his lips this time. It’s chaste in the way you would have wanted in high school. No, scratch that; you’re sure this is absolutely what you want right now. It’s only the first date after all, and you have a good feeling that there will be plenty more to come.

And to think, you assumed speed dating was for dummies this whole time. This was the smartest thing you’re sure you’ve done in a while.


End file.
